Adjustable couch and the like



July 24, 1928.

H. J. MULLER ADJUSTABLE coucn AND THE LIKE Filed Nx 2, 1925 H4. MALI/er lNvaNroe a M? Y 4% Patented July 24, 1928 I I 1,678,?il UhllTE D STATES PATENT DFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE COUCH AND THE LIKE.

Application filed November 2, 1925, Serial No. 66,341, and in Switzerland November 18, 1924.

v The present invention relates to adjusting to the bedstead 1 each of the slotted racks means for the hinged partsof reclii'iing suris guided. A cranked shaft 9 provided with faces, in which the locking of the rack suphand levers is journalled in the bedstead. ports, that is ofadjusting rails with locking Bf, turning; the cranked shaft by means of teeth, is automatically disengaged, when the the lever 10 the cranked part 9 of the crank hinged part is raised, and can be L's-engaged shaft-9 may be caused to engage in. the lockwith the adjustable rail in. any position. ing teeth 6 of theslotted rack '5 (Figures 2 The arrangement may also be such that the and 6). 1 parts remain locked securely in a position hen the cranked shaft 9 is disengaged, 10 which does not interfere witi the swinging the leg, rest 3 can be adjusted to the desired movement of the hinged part, even if the height, and be thereupon fixed in position hinged part should be capable of sliding. by causing the cranked part 9 of the shaft This object is effected according to the 9 to engage in the teeth 6 of the slotted racks present invention by an adjusting; rail with 5. If theleg rest 3 is tobe moved into ana longitudinal guide andlocking teeth being other position, it can be readily raised by pivoted to theend of the hinged part of the lneans of the handle 1 1, irrespective of reclining surface at either side-of the same, whether it is desired to raise or lower it in which teeth the cranked part of a crank (Figures 1 and 7), "whereby the inclined shaft having fixed bearings is capable of enlocking teeth (3 lying, below the cranked part 20 gaging; and, on the hinged part being raised, 9 'cause the shaft 9 to be disengaged from of automatically disengaging, the arrangethe slottedracks 5 (Figures 1 and 7). The 'nient being such that by the co-action of a leg rest can thereupon be raised or lowered fixed guide with the guide in the rail the at will, after which it is fixed in position locking teeth of each adjustable rail are by causing the crankshaft to engage in the equidistant in every position from the crank slotted racks 5. A stop pin 10 is provided I shaft, when disengaged, for the purpose of for limiting the backward rotation of the adjusting the latter securely in each notch of shaft 9. the adjustable rail and without interfering By theslot 7 and thepin 8 of each slotted with the swinging motion of the adjustable rack 5 locking teeth are, kept at an equal 30 rails about the cranked part of the crank distance from the disengaged cranked shaft shaft as the axis, on the hinged part being 9, whatever the position of the slotted racks slid. and are so guided that thecranked shaft 9 The accompanying drawing shows two can be caused to engage withoutfa-il in any constructional examples of a couch accordnotch in the slotted racks. It is iniipossible ing to the invention, in which the legsup for the slotted racks to bend or break when port (rest for the lower segment of the leg) the parts are being adjusted' of a reclining surface, for instance a hospi- Figures 4 and 5 show the adjusting mechatal bed, a reclining chair or the like, repnism as applied to a hinged leg rest, which resents the hinged part; The hinged part is attached to a couch of thekind shown in 41) may of course be attached somewhere else. Patent 1,255.208 and which is provided with for instance on a machine, as a hinged feed a back rest 13pivoted on pins 12 and a suit table or the like. i able seat 17, which is pivoted on pins 14 and Figures 1 and 2 are lOl'lgltllCllllZtl sectional islinked to the back rest 18 by intermediate views of one form of the invention. members 15 and16, and to which the leg rest 45 Figure 3 1s a detail of Figure 1, and Fig- 3 1s pivoted. For guiding the intermediate ure 4; is a detail of Figure 2. nien'ibers 15 and 16 a connecting bar 18 is In the example shown in Figures 1 to 3, provided on either side of the couch, one the part 1 is a bedstead with a rigid reclinend of which bar is connected to the pivot ing surface 2, and with a leg rest 3 capable pin 19 of the two intermediate members and 50 of being swung upwards and downwards. the other end of which is provided on a fixed To either side t at the lower end of the leg pin 20 in the bedstead.

rest (Figures 6 and 7) a straight adjustable To each side bar 4 of the leg rest 3 a link rail 5 is pivoted, which is provided with 22 is pivoted which is provided with a lonlocking teeth 6 and astraight guiding slot gitudinal slot 21, in which slot a pin 23 e11- 55 7, hereinafter referred to as a slotted rack. gages, which is fixed to the bedstead. The By means of the said slot and apin 8 fixed slotted racks 5 and the cranked shafts 9 are similar to those described in the first ex ample.

On the back rest 13 of the bed being raised (Figure l), the .leg restB slides to wards the head end of the bed, the slotted racks 5 turning about the cranked part 9 of the shaft 9 as a pivot and the links 22 also being drawn towards the head end of the bed and lowered. On the back rest 13 being lowered the legrest 3 together with the links 22 is slid towards the foot end of the bed andthe slotted racks 5 are swung towards the foot end about the cranked part 9 As soon as the upper end of the slot 21 of each link 22 rests on the corresponding pin 28, each link 22 is erected at the same time raising the leg rest 3 with the slotted racks 5 whereby the crank shaft 9 is disen gaged from the teeth 6 as in the first example. After the cranked shaft 9 has been automatically disengaged the leg-rest sinks automatically into the lowest position and,

on the back rest being lowered still further into the reclining position,vis raiscd automatically by the links 22 into the horizontal position (Figure 5). As long as the cranked shaft 9 remains disengaged, the leg-rest 3 canbe raised or lowered automatically by the back rest or by pulling the handle 11 and be thus adapted to the desired position for the lower segments of the legs. l' t hile the slotted racks 5 are guided in a perfectly reliable manner there is nothing to interfere with the rotary and thesliding motion of the leg rest and an automatic disengagement of the locking cranked shaft 9, on the back rest 13 being lowered and the leg rest 3 beingpushed back is provided for.

If the lever 10 be connected to a bar the other end of which can be grasped by the person using the couch, the cranked shaft 9 can be operated by'the said person. If a flexible pull member, for instance a wire rope,

be lined to the lower end of the leg rest, and guided over a roller mounted above the leg rest on a fixed bar and be extended so as to be within reach of the person using the couch, the raising and lowering ofthe leg rest can be effected by the said person, thus making him independent of another person. The arrangement is preferably such, that one hand can operate the pull member for the leg rest and the other hand the adjusting bar for the cranked shaft. Instead of the pull rope a system of levers may be provided for raising and lowering the leg rest, which is adapted to be operated by the person lying on the couch.

Instead of having, a longitudinal slot 7 the member 5 may be provided with a curved edge opposite the teeth 6 over which a fixed hook-shaped piece of sheet metal engages for guiding the member 5, in place of the fixed pin 8;

The member 5 may be curved and be provided with teeth on the edge facingthe back rest of the couch, which necessitates a suitable modification of the cranked shaft 9, 9 This curved member 5 may also be guided either by ineansof a slot and a fixed pin or by means of abent over flange and a fixed hook-shaped sheet metal part.

lVhat I claim is In an arrangement for adjusting the leg rest of reclining surfaces and the-like, a regulating rail at either side of the end of the leg .rest of a reclining surface, pivotally attached to said leg rest and forming a support for the foot end of this leg rest, alongitudinal guide and downwardly directed ratchet teeth on said regulating rall, a bedstead, carrying the reclining surface, a crank-' 'pivotally attached to the leg rest of the reclining surface, forming a support for the outer end of the leg rest and carried by arms pivoted at their loweren'ds to the lateral portions of the bedstead, a back rest, means pivotally supporting the back rest on the bedstead, means connecting the back rest and seat whereby changing the position of the backrest will adjust the position of the seat. In testimony whereof I have attired my signature.

HEINRICH JULIUS MULLER. 

